This invention relates to fuel supply systems such as used for the production of heat and electricity (e.g., fuel cell DC-current generation) and particularly to large scale systems utilizing vehicle supply and storage tanks and/or supply reservoirs as well as small scale consumer use, storage, utilization, delivery and supply.
Currently, combustion fuel (defined as materials used to provide energy via combustion) for relatively large scale continuous use is provided to various utilization sites by transport vehicles, including trucks (e.g., oil and gasoline trucks), trains and even ocean-going ships (e.g.,tankers). The combustion fuel such as oil, gasoline and even coal is combusted at the utilization sites to provide heat or to run generators of electricity and combustion reaction products (primarily carbon oxides, water and pollutants such NOx and SO2 are formed and vented to the air with intervening scrubbing devices). These fuels are non-renewable and there is a constant effort to find new sources for such fuels. In addition, suppliers exercise monopoly and often extortionist power in controlling the supply of fuel.
Supply of combustion fuel or a direct supply of electricity may also be continuous, constant and always at hand with direct supply lines between source supplier and consumer, e.g., natural gas and electricity. Such constant supply (not periodic as with transport vehicle delivery) requires a built in infra-structure (e.g., pipes, cables, wires, etc.) which, while normally available in developed urban areas, is often not available in rural and even many suburban areas. In the absence of such supply line infrastructures, combustion fuels are most often delivered to storage tanks or storage containers or sites at pre-arranged schedules or as ordered, directly by fuel supply vehicles, e.g., fuel supply trucks.
Hydrogen based fuel for on site fuel cells requiring transport to the site have several limitations including overriding safety consideration and costly handling infrastructure. Use of fluid hydrocarbon fuel, natural gas and methane requires devices such as reformers to produce hydrogen, carbon dioxide and other byproducts. Utilization is complicated, costly, and polluting. Furthermore, these fuels are inconvenient to deliver, store or use, particularly in small portable electronics as a result of their inability to be effectively scaled down for general consumer use.
Electricity by direct generation using local small gasoline or kerosene fueled generators still entails storage and delivery of gasoline and kerosene, which can be dangerous and the use of such fuels is via a full combustion and is not normally recyclable.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for the supply of fuel, particularly of a fluid metal type for the production of electricity, and the efficient collection of reaction product for regeneration of said fuel in a substantially fully recyclable fuel supply system.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide elements of the system during fuel transport, distribution site storage, utilization site storage and as a utilization reservoir within devices, powered thereby, wherein there are no constraints on reservoir size and configuration and the reservoir can be remote from a utilization site with either manual transport of fuel to the utilization site or by transport through ducts or other conduits.
It is yet another object of the present invention to efficiently distribute and supply a metal fluid or paste fuel to reduce release of polluting materials to the air and to provide a renewable source of fuel which is safe and readily handleable and which can be effectively ultimately used by tapping a local reservoir to provide sufficient material to periodically replenish fuel cell configurations in electrical appliances even with applications of less than one watt or with very low relative wattage, such as in portable electronics products including electric bikes, scooters, wheelchairs, toys, portable computers and even electric cars, and for applications up to and including large generators with applicable use of over 100,000 watts.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide an efficient distribution system for fuel supply and waste collection for any of immediate use, local storage, distribution and use, and bulk distribution, storage and use.
It is another object of the invention to provide an efficient method for communication, ordering and delivery of fuel supplies of said metal fluid or paste fuel.
Generally the present invention comprises a recyclable fuel distribution system or infrastructure comprising a hierarchy of operatively linked (with fuel supply and reaction product collection elements) fluid fuel transport means, fluid fuel storage means (at large commercial distribution sites or at the smaller consumer utilization level), fuel supply reservoir means (optional depending on specific use), and fluid fuel usage devices operatively linked to the storage tanks or supply reservoirs, as applicable. In addition, actual devices utilizing the fluid fuel comprise part of the system.
With metal fluids or pastes which provide fuel for electrochemical fuel cells the present invention includes distribution of such materials wherein there is:
1. a recyclable metal fluid fuel supply system comprising a hierarchy of:
a) at least one central processing plant for recycling spent electrochemical reaction products of the metal fluid fuel into fresh metal for use in the metal fluid fuel of the present invention by;
b) vehicle means for transport of the metal fluid to remote storage facilities or directly to metal fluid fuel reservoirs for direct use by consumers of the metal fluid fuel contained therein; and for collection of spent fuel from said remote storage sites and fuel reservoirs;
c) optional storage facilities for local containment of the metal fluid fuel for distribution thereof to local reservoirs for consumers of said metal fluid fuel; and
d) local reservoirs of consumers for direct use by consumers of the metal fluid fuel contained therein in one or more electrically powered utilization devices such as electrical appliances, electric automobiles and the like.
It is understood that the metal, such as zinc powder or particles, may be fluidized with a fluid carrier at any point prior to actual electrochemical use though transport and handling is significantly facilitated with an early fluidization.
As part of the hierarchy and as the hub therefore, is a plant or refinery or series of plants or refineries of appropriate size and location for collection and recycling of electrochemical reaction products to fresh fuel, where vehicle carriers are loaded with fresh fuel and where the vehicles supply spent fuel (i.e., defined as reaction products collected during fuel usage and which are recyclable to fresh fuel) for recycling.
The fuel used in the system of the present invention, undergoes a reversible chemical reaction product, during use, which is reversible to the original fuel and which reaction product(s) is (are) collected by each of said fluid fuel transport means, and includes combustion fuels where reaction products are retrievable and reversible to initial fuel.
A highly desirable fuel is a metal fluid or paste, such as of zinc particles in a fluid electrolyte carrier such as an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution, which efficiently provides electricity in an electrochemical couple. Details of the metal fluid or paste in a fuel use for generation of electricity in a fuel cell configuration, as well as reservoir structure and method of recycling and recharging is described in greater detail in co-pending application Ser. No. 09/570798 filed May 12, 2000, the disclosure of which is included in its entirety herein by reference thereto. Other metals suitable for use an electrochemical fuel include lithium, sodium, potassium (requiring some special handling and usually non-aqueous fluids), calcium, magnesium, silver, iron and other metals recognized as providing viably efficient electrochemical couples in an electrochemical cell.
In a highly preferred embodiment of the present invention at least one, and preferably all of the transport, storage (commercial and consumer) and reservoir means (including those contained within appliances or connected thereto) comprise a storage volume with separated chambers adapted to inversely change, relative to fuel being supplied and reaction product being collected and stored, as described in said application. As a result, a single volume during transport, storage, and use, provides the dual function of fuel supply and collection of reversible reaction product, with concomitant nearly halving of transport, storage and use volumes and costs.
In such embodiment the present invention comprises a recyclable fuel supply system comprising a hierarchy of:
a) at least one central processing plant for recycling spent fuel products into fresh fuel;
b) vehicle means for transport of fuel to remote storage facilities or directly to fuel reservoirs for direct use by consumers of fuel contained therein; and for collection of spent fuel from said remote storage sites and fuel reservoirs;
c) optional storage facilities for local containment of fuel for distribution thereof to local reservoirs for consumers of said fuel;
d) local reservoirs of consumers for direct use by consumers of fuel contained therein.
Each of the central processing plant, vehicle means, optional storage facilities and local reservoirs comprises a container connectable to a fuel take-up element and a spent fuel exhaust wherein the container comprises at least two chambers of inversely variable volume disposed within the container for respectively storing a quantity of fuel and receiving a quantity of exhaust.
The containers each comprise means for decreasing the volume of one of the chambers while concurrently increasing the volume of the other of the chambers concomitantly with increase in volume of fuel or spent fuel and decrease in volume of the other of the fuel or 5pent fuel.
Except for containers connected directly to utilization devices, the container bodies are utilized for efficient transfer of fuel and spent fuel, e.g., between transport vehicles and refinery plant and between transport vehicles and storage or reservoir sites.
Unlike any other current method of fuel supply, waste material, in the form of reaction products, is collected during delivery of fresh fuel, as opposed to waste material being discarded or vented to the atmosphere (or even separately collected), in an efficient, simultaneous supply and collection process.
At a central processing plant the waste material, such as zinc oxide, is separated from fluid electrolyte and is roasted or otherwise processed to reversibly provide fresh zinc fuel ion an efficient recycling process.
In addition, the present invention encompasses the use of an internet connection to conduct transactions between users and distributors to enhance efficiency of transactions including of ordering and supply and to initiate vehicle transport and supply to storage facilities or local use reservoirs. With such method, a user contacts a distributor to deliver fuel on a periodic set interval basis over a web home page and connection (alternatively sensors within a fuel storage tank provide a signal to a distributor to indicate need for replenishment of the fuel supply) and for collection and recycling of spent materials. Billing is based on physical supply amounts, with credits for returned spent fuel for recycling.
The method of the present invention comprises overall steps in effecting a substantially fully recyclable distribution, collection and recycling of fuel and particularly fluidized metal particles and their use in powering electrical appliances at a consumer level. The method comprises the steps of:
a) initially transporting fuel from a supply and recycling plant by transport means to fuel storage facilities (alternatively the fuel is directly transported to the fuel supply reservoir);
b) distributing fuel from the fuel storage facility to a fuel supply reservoir proximate to consumers of said fuel;
c) periodically tapping the fuel supply in said reservoir by authorized tappers as required to obtain sufficient fuel to power an electrical appliance, e.g., portable electrical appliances including home appliances, electric bikes, scooters, wheelchairs, toys, portable computers or an electric automobile, as well as supplying fuel for the home itself such as for heating, air conditioning, cooking, providing hot water, dish washers, clothes washers, refrigerators, entertainment centers and dryers etc;
wherein transport, distribution and use of the fuel is simultaneously accompanied by retrieval of fuel waste material or reaction products and wherein transport of fuel from the supply and recycling plant to the transport means is accompanied by retrieval of fuel waste material by the plant for the recycling thereof to fresh fuel.
It is understood that for appliances and household functions requiring an AC rather than a DC power supply, fuel for the generation of electricity may be used in conjunction with appropriate transformer (and rectifier if necessary) devices or with the use of a local generator to supply the requisite current requirements.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the following discussion and drawings in which: